Today in Pictures, May 29, 2025
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Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Taiwan ex-lawmaker's son jailed for North Korea fuel shipments in collusion with Singaporean man
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Taipei - The son of a former Taiwanese lawmaker has been sentenced to 28 months in prison for illegally supplying nearly 3,000 tonnes of fuel oil to heavily sanctioned North Korea. A Taiwanese district court convicted Huang Chung-wei of violating the island's Counter-Terrorism Financing Act, according to the ruling dated Aug 12 and seen by AFP on Aug 21. Huang collaborated with Singaporean businessman Kwek Kee Seng, who is wanted by the United States and Taiwan, to transfer around 2,798 tonnes of fuel oil to two ships in Korea Bay, off northeastern China and North Korea, in 2019. The ships were operated by companies blacklisted by the United Nations over their North Korean links, the ruling said. Fuel shipments to Pyongyang are capped as part of a raft of UN sanctions that are a response to North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear tests. Five others were also found guilty in the case and received jail terms ranging from seven months to two years and one month. They can appeal the sentences. 'For their personal gain... they not only disregarded Taiwan's anti-terrorism act, but also seriously affected Taiwan's international image and put Taiwan at risk of sanctions and condemnation from the UN and the international community,' the ruling said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore Parliament releases seating plan for 15th term: Find out who is sitting where Singapore Courier tip-off leads to HSA seizure of Kpods, drugs in Tampines and Grange Road raids Singapore Large flocks of parakeets a spectacle in Choa Chu Kang, but they may affect native species Singapore Singapore students shine in Paris with record medal haul at history Olympiad Business Changi Travel Services cuts 30 staff amid market shifts Singapore Teacher charged over allegedly making student undress in video call, sending her his nude photo Singapore District judge signals sterner penalties for vaping offences, cites public concern Singapore Alleged vape seller faces new charge after he was found with more than 190 Kpods It did not say what Huang and the others received in return for supplying the fuel oil to North Korea. Huang is the son of former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Huang Jen-shu. The DPP is the party of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te. In 2022, the US State Department offered US$5 million (S$6.4 million) for information on Kwek, blaming him for numerous fuel deliveries to North Korea and ship-to-ship transfers as well as money laundering through front companies. Kwek owns the shipping company Swanseas Port Services based in Singapore. AFP
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Russia needs nuclear shield update due to ‘colossal threats', nuclear chief says
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Director-General of Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom Alexei Likhachev said the nuclear shield is a guarantee of the country's sovereignty. MOSCOW - Russia's nuclear shield should be strengthened in coming years due to the 'colossal threats' facing the world's biggest nuclear power, the head of Russia's state nuclear corporation said on Aug 21. Russia and the United States are upgrading their nuclear arsenals - including the systems used to detect and intercept incoming nuclear-armed missiles - just as China ramps up its own nuclear capability far beyond those of Britain and France. 'Now, in the current geopolitical situation, is a time of colossal threats to the existence of our country. Therefore, the nuclear shield, which is also a sword, is a guarantee of our sovereignty,' Russian state news agency RIA cited Mr Alexei Likhachev, director-general of Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, as saying. 'We understand today that the nuclear shield must only be improved in the coming years.' US President Donald Trump in May unveiled plans for a so-called 'Golden Dome' missile defence shield , inspired by Israel's land-based Iron Dome defence shield, that would cost at least US$175 billion (S$225 billion). The US dome would aim to intercept a range of missiles - including ballistic, hypersonic and cruise - and is aimed at blocking threats from Russia and China. However, military experts agree that no such shield can intercept all missiles, especially in the quantity that either Moscow or Washington could launch. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore Parliament releases seating plan for 15th term: Find out who is sitting where Singapore Courier company tip-off leads to HSA seizure of Kpods, drugs in Tampines, Grange Road raids Singapore District judge signals sterner penalties for vaping offences, cites public concerns Singapore Alleged vape seller faces new charge after he was found with more than 190 Kpods Singapore 3 people taken to hospital after fire at Bukit Purmei flat Singapore Police looking for car driver after hit-and-run incident with lorry in Kallang Singapore Fullerton Healthcare Corp co-founder admits approving falsified claims of over $213k Life Bucking sluggish retail, Singapore brands commit to wowing with experience-driven physical stores Russia has about 4,300 stockpiled and deployed nuclear warheads and the United States has about 3,700, a total of about 87 per cent of the world's total inventory, according to research by the Federation of American Scientists. China is the world's third largest nuclear power with about 600 warheads, followed by France with 290, Britain with 225, India with 180, Pakistan with 170, Israel with 90 and North Korea with 50, according to the research. REUTERS
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Drone that fell in Poland probably came from direction of Belarus, prosecutor says
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Police officers secure the area, after an unidentified object fell and exploded in a cornfield overnight, according to Polish authorities, in the village of Osiny, eastern Poland, August 20, 2025. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel WARSAW - A drone which crashed into a field in eastern Poland most likely came from the direction of Belarus, a regional prosecutor said on Thursday, following the incident described as a provocation by the defence minister. The military drone fell into a cornfield overnight on Tuesday, scorching crops, shattering windows in nearby homes and adding to tensions at a crucial period in efforts to end the war in Ukraine. "There is a very high probability ... that the object probably came from Belarus," Lublin regional prosecutor Grzegorz Trusiewicz told reporters. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson told Reuters on Wednesday that initial findings of the investigation and some experts suggested a Russian version of the Shahed drone developed by Iran was involved in the latest incident. Trusiewicz said he was unable to confirm the model of drone involved. The embassy of Belarus in Warsaw did not immediately respond to a request for comment. There was no comment from the Russian embassy. Close Russian ally Belarus has backed Moscow's war in Ukraine. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore Parliament releases seating plan for 15th term: Find out who is sitting where Singapore Courier company tip-off leads to HSA seizure of Kpods, drugs in Tampines, Grange Road raids Singapore District judge signals sterner penalties for vaping offences, cites public concerns Singapore Alleged vape seller faces new charge after he was found with more than 190 Kpods Singapore 3 people taken to hospital after fire at Bukit Purmei flat Singapore Police looking for car driver after hit-and-run incident with lorry in Kallang Singapore Fullerton Healthcare Corp co-founder admits approving falsified claims of over $213k Life Bucking sluggish retail, Singapore brands commit to wowing with experience-driven physical stores Early on Thursday, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said jets were scrambled due to Russian strikes on western Ukraine. However, it said that no violation of Polish airspace was observed. REUTERS
